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Thursday, October 30, 2014

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

I never thought it would take me this long to pop in and update you on our sweet baby boy's arrival. Please forgive me. I guess you could say I'm under the spell of Max—also known as sleep deprived and smitten! Since he made his debut on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 3:40 pm, I've tried to find the right words to describe these past three weeks and what they've meant to me. I'm still not entirely sure I know what to say, but I suppose it's worth a shot. As a rambling insomniac with a case of mom brain, bear with me as I share a few random thoughts...

MAX & MOTHERHOOD:

Approximately twelve hours after publishing my last blog post, my water broke. Yikes! We settled into bed to watch an episode of New Girl on the DVR. I exchanged a few texts with my sister, got up to get a drink of water, and BAM! I stared at Flyboy with a dumbfound look on my face and my entire body started to shake. At 9:05 pm, it was officially GO time. I had no idea it would be another 19 hours before we finally met our little love nugget.

Those who know my mom and dad know they go to bed really early and they rarely answer the phone. In the days leading up to Max's birthday, my mom kept telling me that she'd leave her phone on in case we were headed to the hospital. Well, her cell was downstairs charging and my dad's phone was in his gym bag. Flyboy and my sister tried calling, but neither one picked up their phone. I wasn't too concerned; I didn't want them to lose any sleep and it's hard to tell how long this whole process could take. My persistent sister (in Missouri) grew concerned and concocted a plan to wake up my parents (in Washington D.C.). I later found out that she called the police and asked if someone could swing by my parents' house to wake them up and tell them their oldest daughter (in Texas) was in labor. Ha Ha! God bless the officer who shared the news with my parents and props to Aubrey for her creative plan. She's one crafty gal! Hearing my family relive this scenario was a real hoot. I just adore them!

The admiration I have for my mother intensified when I became a mom. I honestly didn't think I could love her any more. Now I get it. Also, I had the help of an epidural. How did she give birth NATURALLY and twice?

As far as nurses go, we had a cast of memorable characters. I will forever be grateful to the group of women who helped us in the first few days of Max's life—even the old bitty who accused us of taking the wrong baby. Yes, THAT happened!! With hormones raging, I tearfully scrolled through photos on my iPhone to ensure it was indeed our baby. In case Max is ever really rotten, I might try to return him to the Swell Rio hospital. "Hey, you said this wasn't my baby!" Ha Ha!

I spent almost ten months fretting over how life would change as we welcomed a child into our life. Oddly enough, the moment we brought Max home and I walked him around the house, everything felt right. It all seemed to click, and I couldn't imagine our life any other way.

I'm convinced that one of life's greatest gifts is watching your parents hold your baby. Having my family around for the first two weeks of Max's life was a true blessing. I'm so thankful for the love and support they've shown us.

When your dad asks you where he can purchase matching cowboy hats in Swell Rio, don't ask any questions. The hunt may take a few hours and he'll end up visiting multiple stores in search for the perfect hat, but when he returns have your camera ready. A photo session is about to go down with Max and it's going to be epic.

It pays to purchase the same shirt in multiples. For instance, one day Max peed all over me three times in one day and my family had no idea I changed. We later learned that all of these accidents were a result of the Desitin and Vaseline that coated his diaper post-circumcision. It was like a giant oil slick causing everything to shoot out of the diaper.

This past week, Flyboy returned to work, so Max and I have spent some quality time together alone. It's been a combination of scary and fun. Once again, I'm reminded the only constant is change. It's thrown a real curve ball at my Type-A(shley) routine, but I think he's teaching me to live more in the moment and take things one day at a time. I don't have to figure it all out at once. Of course, this is easier said than done, but I'm willing to give it my best shot.

On days that are really hard (like this past Tuesday) and he won't stop sobbing, I think I'll remind myself of the way I felt in the delivery room when we experienced some complications and all I wanted was to hear him cry.

Everyone tells you that these first few weeks are brutal, and they're right. In an odd way, there's sort of a rush that comes with being a new parent. There are moments of exhilaration and other instances in which you feel hungover. I feel up to the challenge and eager to smother this new life with oodles of love, but there are also times in which I'm defeated and downright exhausted. The highs and lows that come with the territory can be awfully confusing. Then your baby smiles—a result of gas, I'm sure—and you're left with a glimmer of hope.

Thank you for the sweet words of encouragement and for your patience as I attempt to adapt to our new normal. I appreciate it!

Blog posts will continue to be intermittent through Thanksgiving. We have family visiting Texas over the next few weeks, and I want to make sure I'm present. I want to capture every moment as we share Max with our favorite people.

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